RS #383: Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings And Food

Release Date: 1978Previously Owned: YesFirst Time Listen: No

This album cover is made up entirely of smaller Polaroid photos. By Source, Fair use, Link

Impressions: Okay, now here is a second album! Not to mention one of my favorite album covers and album titles of all time. In some ways, More Songs About Buildings and Food really more like their actual debut. Talking Heads 77 was slightly marred by a producer who didn’t get what the Heads did and tried to commercialize their sound. Producer Brian Eno extracts a purer version of Talking Heads minimalist nerdiness. Let’s put it on… The jittery, trotting “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” comes flying right out of the gates. Without getting you a chance to breathe “Our Love” no let up. Bouncy, nervous, funky, funny, tight…the ingredients are simple. Haven’t listened to this one in a while, but it’s hitting the spot. The plinky, peppy guitars on “The Good Thing” are counterbalanced is the deceptively simple bouncy bass lines of Tina Weymouth. Then David Byrne shouts “WATCH ME WORK!” and the weird stiff white nerd funk thing somehow works. Love the momentum of this album, every song just slides right into the next one with no let up. “Warning Sign” kicks off with another great bass line and groove. These NY art school students somehow internalized funk & punk and turned it into some kind of neurotic dance music. Every song is like a regular rock song sung from the detached point of view of David Byrne “Girls are getting into abstract analysis!” No flaws on this album, no bad tracks…has to be heard in order. I love the core concept of “Found A Job.” Don’t like what’s on TV? Start your own TV show by enlisting your friends and family (this is all pre- Internet/YouTube/Kickstarter!) “Found a Job” sounds like Chic lead by an deranged venture capitalist CEO of a startup company. “Artist’s Only” really captures art school for me; comparing painting to “cleaning my brain.” Ends really strong with their famous cover of Al Green’s “Take Me To The River” and the classic Byrne-ian ode/critique of America “The Big Country.”Starred Songs: “Take Me To The River,” “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel”Sneaky Track: “Found A Job,” “Warning Sign”…aw, hell…probably the whole albumShould this album be on the list? Yes! Also so should the equally awesome “Fear of Music”…but I’ll fix that!Will You Listen To This Again: Absolutely. It’s great beginning to end.Verdict: Simple, perfectly-sequenced new wave classic still speaks to me.Rating: ★★★★★